The Activities Organized by Lusail Circuit Sports Club for the 2022 MotoGP Season Open Leaves Spectators in Awe
Lusail International Circuit went through three days of boundless excitement and endless entertainment during the events of the Grand Prix of Qatar that was held on the first weekend of March, from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th.
This year’s MotoGP season open had crowds of moto racing fans flood the venue to watch the world’s best moto racers go head-to-head against one another, but the Grand Prix’s schedule also included the Idemitsu Asian Talent Cup during which the promising young Qatari rider, Hamad Al-Sahouti, managed to place 2nd in Sunday’s race of the cup won by Japanese rider Amon Odaki. The Grand Prix started with free practice rounds on Friday for riders to get more familiar with the layout of the track, and after the qualifiers on Saturday determined the position to be taken by each rider at the start of the Qatari round of the season, Sunday delivered a very fierce series of competitive races that ended with Italian rider Enea Bastianini placing 1st in the Moto GP race, with Brad Binder placing 2nd, and Pol Espargaro placing 3rd. In the Moto3 race, Andrea Migno managed to claim his first win since the 2017 Italian Grand Prix after pulling ahead of Sergio Garcea by a mere 0.037s, after a strong display of skill secured Kaito Toba the 3rd position. The Moto2 race was less eventful since Italian wonder Celestino Vietti held the pole position from start to finish with a solid 6.154s lead over 2nd place winner Aron Canet, while a strategic decision by British rider Sam Lowes allowed him to claim P3. With Lusail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC) filling the event’s schedule with countless activities for fans of the sport to enjoy, this year’s season open saw a notable overall attendance and participation from people of varying ages and backgrounds. Aside from the venue’s excellent hospitality, high-quality food courts and activity-rich entertainment zones, fans had a lot to look forward to, including a meet and greet event on Friday during they were given a chance to interact with the riders up close and ask for their autograph, as well as a series of moto sports exhibitions and music events that were engaging to most, and mesmerizing to some.
In total there were two moto-racing exhibitions, a standard version with graffiti art introducing newcomers to the sport and its history, and a special version for veteran fans with 20 legendary vehicle model put on display, and 3 full size bikes 3D printed live and then recolored with a lot of finesse by very talented artists. On Sunday, the skies above the track were host to a spectacular exhibition of flight maneuvers by the Qatar Emiri Air Force, and prior to the main event, the national anthem of Qatar was played by band from the Emiri Forces to celebrate the momentous occasion.
The MotoGP race was shortly followed by a majestic display of fireworks and then a music concert featuring the artist Badr Al Shuaibi and provided by the sponsor of the event Qatar Tourism prolonged the evening just enough to give the impression of a wholesome finish. One of the things that caught a lot of attention was the Sadu pattern that covered the corners of the race track, as it gave the overall event an added touch of vibrance with its unique choice of colors, and it rendered homage to this particular aspect of Qatari heritage.